Fear
by Chezaru
Summary: Pitch Black fears only one thing; that he will eventually dissapear, being consumed by the shadows. The Guardian, Jack Frost, begins to take pity on him. He tries befriending the boogeyman, but will it end up being more than just friendship?
1. Chapter 1

Pitch felt so lonely. He longed for a companion- someone to make him a little less... Sad. He wanted someone to believe in him. And by believe in _him_ he meant the good him; the side that no one saw because he never go the chance to show it. Some may argue that he had many chances. However, history is told by the ones who have a good reputation to uphold.  
Walking through the darkened tunnels of his underground palace, Pitch decided he would go aboveground for a bit. It was ten AM, and Pitch had stayed up all night. He never sleeps. He _is_ the boogeyman after all.  
It was a rather cold day for fall. Halloween was arriving soon. Pitch didn't like Halloween; mainly because the idea was so cliché and he _hated_ clichés.  
After sitting alone for a while, he glanced over his shoulder to see a nightmare. He wondered why it was there. Even Pitch feared things. He feared that he would be alone forever, and eventually, he would fade away into the darkness.  
"Hey." He said with a forced smile. He reached out to pet the creature when it suddenly turned away. Pitch's face softened and began to turn gloomy. Then, rage. So much rage. He knitted his eyebrows and scowled at the air. He stood up, kicking the sticks and leaves around him. _Why why?! Why do __**I**__ fear?! _He thought, stomping towards his lair. Suddenly, a cold ball hit him in the back of the head. He reacted with a flinch and a sharp turn of his body. In doing so he saw no one other than Jack Frost. The white-haired Guardian held a snowball in his right hand, while resting his staff on his arm. He gently tossed the snowball up in the air, watching it come back down and then directing his vision to Pitch.  
He smiled and with a seemingly cheerful voice he said, "Wanna play?"

* * *

**Author's note: **Sorry this isn't really the first chapter. It's more of a prologue. I finally got some inspiration to write! Reviews and criticism much appreciated! Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed.


	2. Chapter 2

_The white-haired Guardian held a snowball in his right hand, while resting his staff on his arm. He gently tossed the snowball up in the air, watching it come back down and then directing his vision to Pitch._  
_He smiled and with a seemingly cheerful voice he said, "Wanna play?"_

* * *

"No." Pitch responded coldly. "Why are you here?" He folded his arms and looked at Jack quizzingly.  
"Because I thought you were lonely." Jack answered awfully kindly. This received a glare from Pitch. Jack, knowing that Pitch knew he was lying, decided to tell the truth. That's what Guardians should do, right? "North said to check on you to see if you were up to anything mischievous." Jack said bluntly, dropiing the snowball and letting his staff fall into his palm. He twirled it in a circle and behind his back, grabbing it with his left hand. "But it seems you're being rather quiet." Jack said, uncertainly, being sure to drag out the word 'quiet.'  
"Well of course I'd have to be quiet, Frost!" Pitch replied icily. "What good would a clumsy loud shadow be? Not even a shadow!" He said, gesturing his arms out to the open space.  
"Well yeah." Jack said. "I guess so." He looked away, still noticing Pitch out of the corner of his eye. To his surprise, the boogeyman looked scared. It was subtle fear, he figured, but Pitch couldn't push his emotions deep enough. "You okay?" Jack asked, hesitantly approaching him. Confusion struck Pitch's face.  
"No." Pitch answered bluntly. _Wait why did I tell him? He's going to laugh. He's going to- _  
"Are you scared?" Jack asked, unknowingly cutting off Pitch's thoughts.  
"Of course not!" Pitch answered. "Why would _I _be scared of **anything**?!" His voice raised and he sounded angry.  
"I know what fear looks like, Pitch..." Jack started. "I _died _being scared." Pitch's face softened and he gave the Guardian a fake look of sympathy.  
"I can sympathize." Pitch said, walking closer to Jack. He towered over him, his face darkening. "But I am not scared." He hissed. Before Jack could say anything, Pitch was a shadow and disappearing into his lair, under that old bed that was never noticed. With a slight shake of his head, Jack jumped into the air and flew off, leaving Pitch alone.

"So what's Pitch up to now?" North asked as Jack came in. He was reading an old book of his.  
"Nothing, actually." Jack answered with a sigh. North looked up from his book, looking at Jack surprised.  
"Yeah?" North questioned.  
"Yeah." Jack answered. "He actually seemed a little scared." To this, North laughed.  
"Ha! Pitch? Scared? That's funny, Jack." North said, patting Jack on the back. Jack looked over his shoulder to see North putting his book on a shelf. He turned to face the Guardian of wonder, giving him a sour look. "you don't really think that, do you, Jack?" North questioned, raising his eyebrows.  
"I know what fear looks like." Jack defended. "Pitch is scared...I just don't know what he's scared of." he looked at North, like maybe he would know, but all he got in return was a sigh, then a smile.  
"Don't worry about it, Jack!" North reassured him. "Pitch'll be fine. He's always fine!" Jack sighed, twirled his staff, and hopped up in the air, leaving North and heading to his own home. He was confused; thoughts racing. He was getting upset. He needed time alone.

Pitch had wandered through the tunnels, thinking about why Jack thought he was scared. He was scared. The nightmare that followed him around was his own. Every so often he would turn around and stop to see the nightmare and it would look up at him, waiting for him to start walking.  
"Leave me alone." Pitch said, looking over his shoulder. The nightmare swirled into a shadow and disappeared into the dark. "Thank you." Pitch said with a sigh of relief. _I suppose I can go make some of Sandy's dreams nightmares. _Pitch thought. He looked at a clock and saw that it was midnight. "Time to go then." And with that said, he turned into a shadow and went above ground.

Jack felt like he should check on Pitch. Not because North said not to worry,- which usually means that you should,- but because he pitied the guy. It _was _pitiful to see that Pitch was scared but was trying to hide it. Jack hid his fear, but never in the shadows. He supposed Pitch and shadows went alone together, but, there was something off, and Jack needed to find out what that was.

Pitch formed a slight smile as he sprinkled black sand on the child's face.  
"Bad dreams." He said softly, mocking the said-too-much 'sweet dreams' phrase. A nightmare formed and Pitch got into the child's head. "Boring." Pitch noted. All this nightmare was, was a lame movie character. Some rubbish horror movie guy that macheted the guts out of people. Pitch sighed, seeing as there was nothing interesting here, and he left the child's head in a blink of an eye.

Back at Pitch's lair, Jack took it upon himself to go looking for Pitch. So far, he had no luck.  
"Pitch?" Jack called out. "Pitch Black!" He sand. "Come on out, Pitch. I want to talk to you." Pitch appeared behind Jack in less than a second. Seeing the shadow overcasting him, Jack turned around, greeting the boogeyman with a smile. "Hey." Jack said friendly. Pitch scowled in return.  
"What do you think you're doing here?" Pitch questioned. He attempted to make his voice deep, menacing, and intimidation. However, Jack wasn't phased.  
"I want to talk to you." Jack replied, walking behind the wandering Immortal.  
"Why?" Pitch asked, sprinkling a little black sand on the ground.  
"Because I'm kinda worried about you." Jack said, honestly. Pitch clenched his fists and turned to face Jack.  
"You shouldn't worry about the _boogeyman._" Pitch said, with a mocking tone of fear in his voice.  
"I'm a guardian." Jack started. "Even though I was chosen to protect kids, I try to help everyone." To this, Pitch gave a look of confusion.  
"What do you mean?" Pitch asked. "I'm _Pitch Black_." He said, placing his hands on his chest as a gesture to himself. "You aren't supposed to help me."  
"Who says?" Jack asked, the teenager attitude coming out. He smiled a bit.  
"Every Guardian, I'm sure." Pitch sad, crossing his arms. "How do you expect to help me anyway?" Jack was hopping around the room. He landed in front of Pitch.  
With a smile, Jack happily answered, "By being friends with you!"


	3. Chapter 3

_"I'm Pitch Black." He said, placing his hands on his chest as a gesture to himself. "You aren't supposed to help me."_  
_"Who says?" Jack asked, the teenager attitude coming out. He smiled a bit._  
_"Every Guardian, I'm sure." Pitch sad, crossing his arms. "How do you expect to help me anyway?" Jack was hopping around the room. He landed in front of Pitch._  
_With a smile, Jack happily answered, "By being friends with you!"_

* * *

"You don't wanna be friends with me." Pitch insisted. "I'm not a friendly person."  
"Well," Jack said, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "I think we have a lot in common."  
"Yeah." Pitch scoffed. "Sure we do."  
"I mean it." Jack stated. "We both don't want to be alone." He said, balancing on his staff. Pitch turned his head and smirked.  
"What makes you so sure that I don't want to be alone?"  
"I can see the look on you face." Jack said, walking a bit closer to him. "You can deny it all you want but you're scared." A light bulb went off in Jack's head. _That's it. He's scared of being alone._ Jack thought. Pitch chuckled darkly.  
"You think that because you are a Guardian, that means you can tell how everyone is feeling?" Pitch argued.  
"No. I've always been able to tell how people are feeling. Even more so now that I'm a Guardian...I'm alot less childish and naive."  
"Heh." Pitch laughed. "Nice try, Frost." He got eye-to-eye with the white-haired Immortal. "But for the last time," he said, raising a finger and pointing it at Jack, "I'm not scared. I don't want to be your friend. And I _want_ to be left alone." He stepped back, as did Jack. "Leave." Pitch commanded, crossing his arms. Jack scowled and jumped into the air, obeying Pitch's command.

Pitch didn't know if Jack would come back. And Jack Frost told himself that he would befriend the boogeyman no matter what. Of course, Jack figured Pitch needed a few days to think about everything. So, when Halloween arrived, Jack decided to pay Pitch a visit.

"Hey, Pitch." Jack said, entering Pitch's lair. He was greeted with an exasperated sigh.  
"What is it, Jack?" Pitch asked, rolling his eyes.  
"I was wondering if you wanted to go Trick-or-Treating with me?" Jack said, smiling. Pitch knitted his eyebrows.  
"Jack." He said. "You do know that Immortals can't go 'Trick-or-Treating,' right? He said, putting air quotations around 'Trick-or-Treating.' Jack actually hadn't thought about that. He never went Trick-or-Treating as a kid. And he'd only heard horror stories from Tooth about children getting tons of candy and then losing a tooth or two because of cavities. So, he improvised.  
"Of course I know that." Jack lied. "I was just kidding anyways." He turned his head over to the side and looked at Pitch out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head back so that his vision was directly on Pitch. "Maybe..." He chirped. "Maybe we can go Tricking!" He finished saying while raising his eyebrows. Pitch looked surprised.  
"Wouldn't that get you in trouble?" Pitch asked, smiling a bit. He had a butterfly in his stomach. He was rather excited to do some mischievous things, and with someone by his side nonetheless!  
"Who has to know?" Jack said, smirking. He formed a snowball in his hand and tossed it in the air, catching it. Pitch watched the ball go up and then down. But to his surprise, it ended up in his face. He frowned.  
"Okay." Pitch agreed, wiping the snow off his face. Jack's smirk turned into a wide grin.  
"Alright!" He said, jumping up into the air. He was the first to leave Pitch's lair, unable to see the smile on Pitch's face.  
_I'm not alone._ Pitch thought, swirling into a shadow and joining Jack. _I have a friend._


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm not alone. Pitch thought, swirling into a shadow and joining Jack. I have a friend._

* * *

Jack had seen kids that believed in him; kids other than Jamie. Sadly, they grew up. Always. So, when Pitch and Jack arrived to the familiar street of Jamie's, Jack hid. Pitch, not wanting to mess up any of the tricks, hid as well.  
"What are you doing?" Pitch asked.  
"Hiding from Jamie." Jack said, peeking over the bush they were sitting behind.  
"Does he still believe in you?"  
"Shut up." Jack snapped, glaring at Pitch. Pitch's eyes widened a bit. _He's scared. _Pitch thought. _He's scared that Jamie doesn't believe in him anymore. _Pitch took a deep breath, smelling Jack's fear. It smelled like spring and summer; the smell of warm fresh air and flowers.- The time when Jack Frost wasn't needed. Where maybe children wanted a miraculous snow day on April, but they didn't get one. And thus, stopped believing. It was a nice smell. A smell that Pitch could get high from. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, smiled, and then exhaled loudly. Jack looked over to see the boogeyman staring at him. "Sorry!" Jack said, hopping on his feet. "I'm sure you didn't wanna sit and watch me hide." He forced a smile. "Heh. Let's go then." Jacked hopped up, letting the wind guide him through the air. He stopped on the roof of someone's house. "What shall we do?" He asked, leaning on his staff.  
"Raise a little hell." Pitch said, appearing beside him. He looked over to see Jack staring at him, wide-eyed. "Oh don't be silly!" Pitch said, raising a hand to Jack. "I can't actually raise a little hell." He said, using air quotations. "I meant let's cause a little mayhem." Jack laughed a bit, and smiled.  
"Yeah, ok." Jack agreed. "I say we go to that house right there." He said, pointing at a well decorated house a little ways down the street. Music was blaring and lights were flashing. It was a party. _This is going to be great. _Pitch thought.  
"Last one there has to eat Licorice!" Pitch said racing towards the house. Of course, with him being able to manipulate the shadows, he won. Jack stood beside him, both of them standing behind a tree. Jack laughed and Pitch did too. They examined their surroundings, each both noticing a familiar face. _Jamie. _Jack thought. _I wonder if he still believes. _  
"Hey Jamie!" Jack called out with a smile. No response. _He must not be able to hear me. _Jack walked up to him. "Jamie! Hey!" Jack said happily. No response. Jack's stomach tied itself into knots. "Jamie." Jack mumbled, turning his back to him. He saw Jamie appear in front of him. _He walked right through me. _Jack's face grew gloomy and he walked back over to Pitch.  
"I'm sorry, Jack." Pitch said, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked up at Pitch, seeing his own reflection in the boogeyman's eyes. It was the same look that Pitch had: fear and sadness iced over with darkness.  
"It's fine." Jack said, pushing Pitch's hand off his shoulder. It fell to Pitch's side. They stood there for a minute, looking at the kids and teenagers having a good time. Jack turned away and hopped up onto the roof. Jumping from it he landed on another one. He continued jumping from roof to roof until he was a few blocks away from the party. Pitch appeared beside him. He sat down and gestured for Jack to do the same. Jack sat down and pulled his knees up to his chest.  
"I thought he'd always believe." Jack said, setting his staff next to him. "I just want to be believed in." Jack said, resting his chin on his knees.  
"I believe in you, Jack." Pitch said while placing a hand on his chest. "You're right...We do have a lot in common." Jack looked at Pitch out of the corner of his eye. "And we can make this better, you and I."  
"How?" Jack questioned, turning his head to the side.  
"By being friends."


	5. Chapter 5

_"I believe in you, Jack." Pitch said while placing a hand on his chest. "You're right...We do have a lot in common." Jack looked at Pitch out of the corner of his eye. "And we can make this better, you and I."_  
_"How?" Jack questioned, turning his head to the side._  
_"By being friends."_

* * *

"Heh, okay." Jack said with a smile. Pitch smiled too. It wasn't a fake smile. It wasn't a spiteful smile. He had nothing to hide. He was happy.

It was ten PM, and kids were heading home.  
"Last minute fun?" Pitch asked, standing.  
"Yeah." Jack hopped to his feet and formed a snowball in his hand. "Let's go." He wanted Jamie to believe in him again. He wanted to show him that he was real.

Jack and Pitch entered the well-decorated house, noticing that everyone was dressed as movie characters. _Lame. _Pitch thought. He looked over at Jack and received a nod of approval. Suddenly, Pitch was a shadow and was turning out the lights. Screams were heard as the bulbs blew. Everyone looked around and Pitch could smell their fear. _Wonderful. _  
"You should be afraid of the dark." Pitch's voice boomed. He appeared in front of a young man holding a flashlight. To Pitch's surprise, the teenager could see him. "Boo." The teen dropped the flashlight and started running towards the door. Jack was waiting outside and as everyone came running out, he set his staff on the ground and it froze over with slick ice. The kids stumbled around before falling on their faces. Jack laughed and Pitch appeared beside him, laughing as well. "Nice job, Frost." Pitch said, patting Jack on the back.  
"Thanks." Jack said. He put his staff on the ice and cracked it. A familiar voice called out.  
"Jack?" Jack turned around to see Jamie.  
"Jamie!" Jack said, delighted. "You can see me!" He went to hug him but Jamie backed away. Jack looked at him, confused. "Why didn't you see me earlier?"  
"I thought you weren't real. It's what happens when you start growing up." Jamie looked at the kids that were walking away, rubbing their bruised elbows. "But now I see you're real." His tone was sour and he looked upset. Jack gulped and he started breathing heavy. "You're on Pitch's side now?" Jamie questioned, pointing at Pitch who turned around to listen.  
"No it's not like that!" Jack defended. "We're friends!" He said as he gestured between Pitch and himself. This didn't help Jack's case one bit. Jamie gave him a look of disgust.  
"Why?" Jamie questioned. It wasn't something people usually thought about: why am I friends with this person? Jack had a thousand and one reasons to hate Pitch; to be his enemy. However, there was one thing that they connected with, and Jack just couldn't hate him.  
"He understands." Jack pleaded. "He knows what it's like to not be believed in." Pitch looked out of the corner of his eye, shocked. _Is this how friendship works?_ He wondered.  
"He's using you, Jack!" Jamie exclaimed. Pitch shot him a look.  
"No he's not." Jack said. He placed a hand on his chest. "_I'm _the one who befriended him. I wanted to be friends with him!" Jamie's face turned dark.  
"Fine." Jamie said, clenching his fists. "I can't believe I ever believed in you." He muttered, walking away and into his home. Jack's eyes became empty.  
"Jack-" Pitch started, reaching out to place a hand on his friend's shoulder. Jack turned away before he could do so and flew up into the air. _I'm sorry, Jamie. _Jack shouted over and over in his mind. But his rage grew with every word he screamed. Not just rage; darkness. Jack's heart was growing dark, and he didn't even realize it.

* * *

Thanks to **angelwithshotgun **for letting me use her idea of Pitch scaring some teenagers.


	6. Chapter 6

Bunnymund, North, Sandman, and Toothiana were all gathered in North's workshop.  
"Exile?" Toothiana asked. "You can't seriously think that that's the best option."  
"We have no other choice." Bunnymund told her.  
"Bunnymund's right." North said, stroking his beard. "Perhaps we can reason with him first."  
"He's our friend!" Toothiana defended, not wanting to even think about sending Jack into exile.  
"He's hurt people, Tooth." Bunnymund said, his face turning dark. Toothiana crossed her arms and looked away.  
"I'm sure we can reason with him." Toothiana said. Sandman's eyes lit up and he nodded in agreement.  
"It is settled then!" North exclaimed, slapping his big hands on his belly. "Let us go talk to Jack!"

While the Guardians searched for Jack, he was at Pitch's lair. To be honest, it wasn't a lair. It was a big palace of shadows, which, made it more like a lair than anything else. Jack and Pitch were sitting in the living room; where guest would sit and chat. Jack wasn't expecting furniture, but, there they were, sitting on a red sofa. It was soft, and Jack couldn't resist bouncing up and down on it. As he bounced, Pitch bounced as well. Not willingly, though. His patience was growing thin.  
"Would you stop?" Pitch demanded. Jack chuckled and sat still.  
"Aw, can't have any fun, old man?" He joked, poking Pitch's cheek. Pitch swatted his hand away and made a noise of disgust.  
"Haha, very funny." Pitch said sarcastically as he crossed his arms. He looked over at Jack. "Do you think the Guardians are going to get mad?" Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
"Why would they be mad?" Jack asked. "I haven't done anything wrong." Pitch smirked.  
"Heh. You sure about that?"  
"Being friends with you isn't wrong!" Pitch shook his head.  
"No! I mean the mayhem you and I have caused!" He informed him. "Mainly you." He said, gesturing to his friend.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"What am I talking about?" Pitch responded, standing. Jack stood too, looking up at him. "Why, you know!" Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Ugh." Pitch said, grabbing his head. "All the snow storms and icy roads!" Jack laughed.  
"Come on, Pitch." He said, twirling his staff. "That didn't cause any mayhem.  
"Really, now?" Pitch scoffed. "If you're so sure you haven't done _anything _wrong, then you go find the Guardians and let them know."  
"Fine." Jack said. With a twirl of his staff, he left Pitch's home.

The Guardians' last stop was Pitch's place. Having searched everywhere else, they decided to go to the place they really hoped Jack wasn't at.  
"To Pitch Black's lair." North whispered into a glass ball. He threw it into the air, and it opened a portal to their destination. Bunnymund, Toothiana, and Sandman were all riding in the back of Santa's sleigh. Bunnymund moaned and groaned as his stomach churned from the bumpy ride. "Stop your whining!" North said. He chuckled. Suddenly, his reindeer became frightened. "Woah!" North exclaimed, trying to gain control of the beasts. "We are going down!" The Guardians braced themselves for the crash. They crashed into a bunch of trees. From below, Pitch heard the cracking and tumbling of branches. The Guardians jumped down into the hole which was the only way to get into Pitch's home. North landed on the ground with a thud. Pitch heard the thick Russian accent of North and scowled. _Why are they here? _Pitch thought, swirling into the shadows. _Maybe I can scare them. _"Pitch!" North's voice boomed. Pitch chuckled darkly, his voice echoing off the walls. The Guardians prepared themselves for a fight.  
"How are the childrens' dreams, Sandman?" Pitch mocked, appearing in front of him. Sandman scowled and formed a whip made of sand. Pitch easily dodged his attacks. "Calm down, Sandy!" He laughed.  
"Come on, Sandy." Toothiana whispered, placing a hand on Sandman's shoulder. He threw a glare at Pitch and put his whip away. "Pitch, where's Jack?" Toothiana asked, wings fluttering.  
"He left." Pitch replied, crossing his arms.  
"Where did he go?" Tooth asked.  
"To find you all."  
"Do you know which way he went?" North asked, stepping forward.  
"No. But he probably went to your place, Santa."  
"Only the children can call me that, Pitch." North said, stabbing a finger at him.  
"Okay, okay." Pitch said, raising his hands up and stepping back. He smirked. "I'd go find Jack if I were you." Pitch frowned. Then he said, We don't want Jack causing any major storms, do we?" The Guardians scowled, then their faces saddened. "Aww, why the sad faces?" Pitch laughed.  
"Exile isn't funny, Pitch!" Toothiana snapped at him. The other three Guardians looked at her, surprised.  
"Exile?!" Pitch questioned, his voice turning angry. "You think that's going to solve _anything_?" Pitch was yelling now.  
"Don't wanna lose your partner in crime?" Bunnymund asked.  
"I don't want to lose a friend-my _only _friend!" Pitch answered, placing a hand on his chest.  
"Tch." Bunnymund scoffed. "You don't have friends, Pitch...You aren't capable of making friends." Pitch scowled, yellow eyes glowing with rage. "Let's go." Bunnymund said, waving a hand towards the exit. _The Guardians who know nothing. _Pitch thought. _I have to find Jack. _He spun around, entering the shadows. He knew he would beat the Guardians to Jack, but could he stop them from sending him into exile? _I'm coming, Jack. Don't let them take you. You're my only friend and I can't lose you. _

* * *

**Author's note: **Wow. That took way too long to write.I'm sorry about that. Thanks to **SherlocksDoctor **for the help.


End file.
